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Court Briefs

The Lowell Sun

Updated:
04/19/2016 09:19:04 AM EDT

Tewksbury man charged with third OUI

LOWELL -- When Tewksbury police responded to a single-car accident on Lowe Street in January, they found a mailbox and two boulders had been damaged, the cap of a small pickup truck was in the road, and a nearby lawn was gouged by tires.

The driver left the scene, but police followed fresh tire marks for a mile to Bridge Street, where they found Randy H. White driving a pickup truck without a cap.

In Lowell District Court, the trial for White, 60, of 208 Pringle St., Tewksbury, was scheduled for May 26. At his Jan. 4 arraignment, White pleaded not guilty to charges of operating under the influence of alcohol (third offense), operating a motor-vehicle with a suspended license, negligent operation of a motor-vehicle, a marked-lanes violation, and leaving the scene of an accident with property damage.

White, who has prior drunken-driving convictions in 2001 and 2012, is being held on $5,000 cash bail.

Tewksbury police allege in court documents that when they stopped his truck, White had bloodshot eyes and emitted a strong odor of alcohol. When officers asked if he had been drinking, he responded, "I've had a few."

The documents state that White kept asking the officers if they knew what happened to his damaged truck. He refused to take the field sobriety and Breathalyzer tests.

During the booking process at the police station, White allegedly told police he had to drive off the road to avoid a head-on collision with a car in his lane.

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-- LISA REDMOND

$1M cash bail set for Tewksbury man

WOBURN -- A 45-year-old Tewksbury man is being held on $1 million cash bail after pleading not guilty to drug-trafficking charges after a search of his Tewksbury home allegedly yielded 30 kilos of a mixture of heroin and the drug fentanyl.

After police raided Augustin Antonio Tejeda-Ruiz's 704 Ames Hill Drive home in January, they estimated the street value of the drugs allegedly found at $3 million. Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan described the operation as a "large-scale drug conspiracy."

At his arraignment in Middlesex Superior Court on March 29, Tejeda-Ruiz, who uses four aliases, and Hilda Gandia, 42, of Lawrence, both pleaded not guilty to trafficking in heroin, possession to distribute a Class B drug (two counts) and conspiracy to violate the drug laws. Tejeda-Ruiz was also charged with identity fraud.

Tejeda-Ruiz's bail was set at $1 million cash, while Gandia's bail was set at $75,000 cash. Both are scheduled for a pretrial conference on April 22.

Acting on information that several people in the Tewksbury home were engaged in a large-scale money-laundering operation, Tewksbury and Massachusetts State Police, the Middlesex District Attorney's Office and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration began conducting surveillance last June in the 700 block of Ames Hill Drive in Tewksbury.

According to the DA, investigators focused on Tejeda-Ruiz's home after seeing Gandia coming and going with bags. Investigators executed a warrant on the one-bedroom apartment where they reported finding Tejeda-Ruiz surrounded by $20,000 in cash and two bricks of suspected heroin. Investigators found a total of 30 kilos of suspected heroin, cash and drug paraphernalia, according to the DA. In testing the bricks, investigators found they tested positive for fentanyl, a dangerous opioid many times stronger than heroin and the suspected cause of heroin overdoes in the Merrimack Valley.

-- LISA REDMOND

Contractor accused of scamming client

LOWELL -- A home-improvement contractor from Lowell is accused of scamming a Chelmsford man out of $650 for roofing work that was never done.

Michael T. Rogers, 48, of 76 Burnside St., Lowell, is free on personal recognizance after he pleaded not guilty in Lowell District Court to a single count of larceny over $250 by false pretense. At a motion hearing, Rogers was given a court date of May 17 for possible trial.

Chelmsford police allege in court document that they were contacted on Nov. 29, 2015, by a Gay Street resident who hired Rogers for roof work at a total cost of $1,300. The homeowner paid Rogers $650 upfront, he said. The homeowner said Rogers repeatedly failed to show up to do the work and did not return phone calls.

According to Rogers, the homeowner appeared at Rogers' home "in the middle of the night," but the homeowner told police he went to Rogers' home at 8 p.m., to confront him about getting his money back.

When contacted by the police, Rogers allegedly said he was uncomfortable working with the homeowner after he appeared at Rogers' house.

According to police, Rogers told the homeowner he would give him a refund. Rogers told police he was entitled to some monetary compensation for his wasted time. He allegedly indicated he would determine an amount of compensation and his attorney would return the remainder of the money to the homeowner.

Officers told Rogers to refund all the money, then he could take the homeowner to small-claims court, or the police would file charges. There was no check and no further contact.

-- LISA REDMOND

Police:

Homeless man assaulted officer

LOWELL -- A homeless man accused of injuring three Lowell police officers during a "violent struggle" in a Feb. 19 unarmed robbery case is facing a new charge of trying to escape a police transport van, according to court documents.

Lowell police say Gerald Rodriguez, 20, was being transported to Lowell District Court on the morning of Feb. 22 when he scuffled with a police officer who was removing him from a police van. Rodriguez struck the officer several times while attempting to flee and had to be subdued, police said.

Rodriguez is currently being held without bail as a danger to society after pleading not guilty to unarmed robbery, resisting arrest, and two counts of assault and battery on a police officer in connection with a Feb. 19 incident where Rodriguez was accused of stealing a man's wallet on Kirk Street.

At the time of his arrest, Rodriguez had a pending case from Jan. 30 in which he is accused of breaking into a car on Market Street in Lowell.

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